Demolition Squad
From the deep, subterranean halls of Khaz Modan, the Dwarven Demolition Squads come to aid the Alliance in their
crusade for the liberation of Khaz Modan. As masters in the handling and arming of explosives, these squads are
renowned for their ability to demolish any obstacle - from a mightily wall to a bulwark of solid stone. Reckless and
bold, these Dwarves are zealous in their loyalty to the Alliance and would not hesitate to detonate their
explosive payload should the situation turn grim.
Goblin Sappers
The mischievous Goblin Sappers are known throughout the Horde for their incredible aptitude for destruction. These diabolical
Goblins are invariably armed with extremely volatile explosives; which enable them to level enemy structures and
weapon emplacements. Although the Goblin Sappers are highly unpredictable and insubordinate, they have become necessary to
the plans of conquest maintained by the Horde.
Jobs
Destroying buildings and units.
Orc vs Human
No difference
Damage
Goblin Sappers and Demolition Squads always do 400 hit points worth of damage whenever they explode.
Both will always destroy a Farm since it has 400 hit points and Towers since they only have 100-160 hit
points.
Blast Radius
The Blast Radius of a Demolition Squad is 3x3 or the same size as a Barracks with the blast point being in
the very middle. When looking for targets, select a Peasant, instruct him to build a Barracks then drag it over
the target you want to hit to see where you have to tell the Demolition Squad to explode to cause the maximum amount of
damage.
Purpose
Destroy Farms
Farms provide Food which is required to build any unit. For each Farm that is destroyed, the enemy can build 4 less units. If
the enemy does not have a surplus of Food, they will not be able to build any more units if you destroy one Farm. Farms have
400 hit points, while Demolition Squads do 400 damage making Farms perfect targets for Demolition Squads.
Farms are often built in tight packs making it easy to take out 1-5
with only one Demolition Squad. Make sure you take out at least 2 Farms to justify the
cost of the Demolition Squad.
Refer to Attacking Farms, Buildings, and Units for more information.
Destroy Key Buildings
Use Demolition Squads to take out Key buildings such as Blacksmiths and Stables which will prevent the enemy from making Knights.
Use them on Dragon Roosts, and Town Halls. Avoid using them on Altar of Storms and Churches if the enemy has already
researched those spells as those are one time use buildings. Avoid using Demolition Squads on enemy Sea Buildings, use
Battleships to attack those instead.
Refer to Attacking Farms, Buildings, and Units for more information.
Destroy Enemy Units
Demolition Squads can be used to destroy large numbers of idle units units although this can be difficult if they are moving.
Destroying enemy units can put you ahead on resources as
by killing 5 Knights, you're out 750 Gold, 250 Lumber, while the enemy is out 4000 Gold, 500 Lumber.
Be sure to kill enough units to be worth the cost of the Demolition Squad. Often it's easy to become greedy
and try to kill more units than possible giving the enemy enough time to destroy the Demolition Squad with Ogres and Knights.
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One Demolition Squad destroys a Guard Tower and 4-5 Ogres. Quite a deal.
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Watch the Cost
When using Demolition Squad be sure to take into account the cost of the
Demolition Squad in relation to the cost of the enemies and buildings destroyed. It is not cost
effective to one Demolition Squad to destroy 1 Ogre because you will lose 750 Gold and 250 Lumber while they are
are only 800 Gold, 100 Lumber.
Demolition Squads, Goblin Sappers and Trees
Demolition Squad destroy about 2 rows of Trees.
Send Demolition Squads In Waves
When going after buildings that require 2 or more Demolition Squads to destroy, send the Demolition Squads in
waves of 2. If you send them in one at a time to destroy buildings, leaving the enemy time to repair them, the enemy
will have time to repair them inbetween attacks. You should destroy the buildings rather than simply damaging them.
What you should do is send in 2 Demolition Squad for all the buildings with 400-800
hit points. Send in 3-4 for Town Halls, Strongholds, Keeps, Castles, and Fortresses.
Note: Keep in mind Demolition Squad will blow up each other if you group select them and tell them to explode at the
same place. Set a Barracks size or more spacing between the Demolition Squads as they run to prevent them from blowing
each other up.
Patrolling
Patrolling will command a Demolition Squad to head between two points. If they finds an enemy unit they will chase them
and blow up against them rather than attacking them.
Guide Demolition Squads
Guide your Demolition Squad the whole way. Quite often the path between the Demolition Squad and attack point will change as
enemy units move by requiring control to avoid enemy units.
Scout Out Your Target
If possible, have a Flying Machine over the thing you plan to blow
up, so you can steer clear of ogres, and hit the right building. Be warned that the enemy will expect an attack
after seeing a Flying Machine.
Building Demolition Squads
Because Demolition Squads take a long time to train, build 2 or more Gnomish Inventors. This will allow you to train groups
of Demolition Squads much faster. You can also build a Flying Machine and Demolition Squads at the same time rather
than making a decision as to which is more important.
Demolition Squad Bait
Use a Demolition Squad's attack to attack a Farm. Then when the enemy sends units to attack it, blow up taking the Farm and
the units with it. This may require intense micromanagement but it can be effective and annoying.
the Farm. For this to work, you have to be watching the Demolition Squad the whole
time. Also, the enemy can't have any Archers, Towers, or Catapults around.
Right-Click On Buildings vs On Area
If you select Demolition Squads and right click on a building, they will explode on the building. If you right click on a
space which doesn't have a building or guy in it, they just move there. So when
moving Demolition Squads using right click, make sure there isn't anyone or
buildings there first before clicking.
Demolition Squad Confusion
If you have a lot of Demolition Squads to throw at your enemy, and you don't want him to see your Demolition Squads
coming, type a question that will replied to (try to make this reply as long as possible). Then
while they are busy typing, send in the Demolition Squads.
Demolition Squads Can Only Damage Transports on the Shore
Demolition Squads can destroy Transports when they on the shore, but not when the Transports are not on the shore
nor, can they ever destroy Destroyers, Battleships, or Oil Tankers as the player in the screenshot below discovers.
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A Demolition Squad tries to blow up a Battleship which is impossible.
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Defensive Demolition Squads
Keep Demolition Squads around to attack any one that rushes your
town including water maps. If you know a Transport is incoming you can sometimes Demolition Squad it as it lands destroying it
and everyone on board.
Attacking Guard Towers
Don't try attacking 3 or more Guard Towers with one Demolition Squad.
When going in to attack Guard Towers, try to approach it from a side
where only one tower hits your Demolition Squad at once.
When trying to attack Guard Towers With Demolition Squads, Send a Knight or Footman
ahead of the Demolition Squads. A Knight can run faster than Demolition Squads. The
Guard Towers will shoot at the Knight rather than attacking your Demolition Squad giving the
Demolition Squad time to destroy the Tower. Do the same against other ranged units such as Archers.
Orcs and Towers
You can also use the Eye of Killrogg as a distraction for
Towers and Archers so you can send in your Goblin Sappers.
Just make 3 or more eyes of Killrogg (they don't require a lot of mana) and group
them together with your Goblin Sappers. When coming to Towers, they'll shoot Eyes
first and Goblin Sappers will be able to get to Towers safely... You
can also use Zeppelins as bait but "eyes" are free while Zeppelins are not.
When Towers see Goblin Sappers and the eye they shoot Goblin Sappers, just like
if they see Ogres and Death Knight they will shoot at the Death Knight. To make this
strategy work you have to get the Eye of Killrogg in front of Towers, and AFTER they
shoot once send in a Goblin Sappers. That way the Goblin Sappers will have more time while
Towers reload, to get to them almost undamaged. Usually Towers hit Goblin Sappers
only once before they can destroy the Tower. Don't worry about that Eye of Killrogg
being destroyed - it has 100 hit points. If there are 3 Towers distant from one
another, send the Eye of Killrogg in the middle, so all the Towers will shoot together.
That way when Goblin Sappers comes in they will have a better chance of making it.
Humans and Towers
Get Guard Towers. As I figured, Guard Towers shoot at Gryphons first. Even
if there is a Demolition Squad coming... :) Just send one little Gryphon so he'll get
hit by the tower. Then send in Demolition Squad. Towers keeps shooting at Gryphon,
and Demolition Squad blows it up with 40 hit points. You see what I'm talking about?
Using this strategy on custom puds I was able to get Demolition Squad to blow up 2
towers of the 5 tower block. This is a human strategy because as soon as Demolition Squad
gets to towers, all you have to do is to get your Gryphon out of range of
those towers and heal him.
Kill the Town Hall
Send in 3 Demolition Squads at the same time and destroy the Town Hall. This will immediately
stop all Gold mining operations. Lumber Harvesting will be stopped as well unless the enemy
has a Lumber Mill.
How do you stop this?
What do you do if you see 3 Demolition Squads running for your Town Hall? First try to stop them. If you
can't place one Peasant or more Peasants (grab the Peasants chopping Lumber) standing by your Town Hall.
When the first Demolition Squad hits the hall, have the Peasant repair it. You must have Peasants repair before
the 3rd Demolition Squad hits. So what happens is you are left with a Town Hall with
about 10 hit points because 3 Demolition Squads do 1200 damage.
All you have to do is repair even 1 hit point for the Town Hall to survive. However, if the enemy has even a few
combat units around they can finish off the Town Hall. Attacks such as these happen more on water maps.
Defending against Demolition Squads and Goblin Sappers
Use Knights and Ogres
Archers come to mind as a good defense against Demolition Squads but one of the best defenses are Knights or Ogres.
Knights have a speed of 13 which allows them to catch the slower Demolition Squads which have a speed of 11.
To effectively prevent Demolition Squad attacks make a couple of your
Knights/Ogres patrol 2 - 3 squares in front of your city. Make them patrol parallel to the way Demolition Squads are
going to come. So when they come some guys are in front of them and some are still coming. That way no Demolition Squads will
be able to get through, and it will be really hard to demolish more then 1 guy at a time. You can also
Bloodlust Ogres if you see Demolition Squads coming, since it takes only 2 hits of Bloodlusted Ogre to kill a Demolition Squad.
Never send a Demolition Squad anywhere near Knights or Ogres unless you plan on using the Demolition Squad to
kill them.
Use Walls to Make Your Town More Demolition Squad Proof
The perfect defense against Demolition Squads, beside Ogres, is Walls.
Using walls to protect stuff is only worth it WHEN, you are walling in your peons mining or when you are protecting Towers.
I would not go so far as to just build them around all your buildings.
Demolition Squads can never destroy more than one section of wall. So if you
build walls around your towers, it will take at least 2 Demolition Squads to get
your tower. Or it might take 1 Demolition Squad and some Ogres to attack the
tower.
Ogre Mages Can Cast Runes
Lay down some Runes in the path of an oncoming Demolition Squad. They will explode.
Mages Can Use Slow
Slow allows more time to shoot at them or beat on them with your Ogres and Knights.
Use Invisibility or Unholy Armor
Both spells cause the unstable Demolition Squads and Demolition Squads to explode.
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Humans
Upgrade Weapons ( Damage + 2 )
Cost: 800 
Upgrade Weapons ( Damage + 2 )
Cost: 2400
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Orcs
Upgrade Weapons ( Damage + 2 )
Cost: 500 100 
Upgrade Weapons ( Damage + 2 )
Cost: 1500 300
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